Tag Archives: Donald Duck

June 12, 1942 – The Donald Duck Short Film Donald’s Garden Premieres in Theaters

“Exasperating, isn’t it?”

On June 12, 1942, the Donald Duck short film Donald’s Garden premiered in theaters. It was directed by Dick Lundy.

Donald is seen singing while taking care of his prize-winning watermelons. As he goes to get more water from the pump, he seems to misplace the watering can while the water barely comes out from the pipe. When he moves the can closer, the water then pours out, missing the can once again. He moves the can again, and begins to pump out water with vigor, which pushes the can to the edge of the platform. Donald tries to stop the can from falling, but is too late. Angered, he tries again, but the water refuses to come out from the pump. He declares that he’ll show the pump this time, but the water refuses to fill his can, which ends with Donald getting his bill stuck in the pipe, water coming out of his nostrils. He threatens to tear the pump into pieces, and sticks the can right on the pump’s pipe. The pump explodes with water, but does fill the can. Unfortunately, the can breaks, leaving Donald holding nothing but the handle.

The gopher devours Donald’s radishes, including the picture of the crop

The water falls into a hole in the ground, and a nearby gopher pops out of his hole, choking. He dries himself off and angrily walks around until he bumps into a sign for radishes in Donald’s garden. Suddenly hungry, he crawls underground and begins to pull down the radish crop to eat. The gopher then moves to the onions, but dislikes the taste of them. He spies the watermelon and starts to pull a good one away, but is unable to pull it through his hole. Quickly enlarging the hole, he is able to pull away the watermelon crop. Unfortunately, Donald is also harvesting the crop at the other end, and soon finds that his crop is being stolen. He attempts to pull back the crop, and finds the gopher, catching him in his hat. The gopher manages to escape, and Donald is pulled into the hole when trying to retrieve his crop. The gopher traps Donald with the watermelon vine, and decides to take the rest of Donald’s crops. He smiles with satisfaction as he polishes every single last vegetable.

May 29, 1937 – The Donald Duck Short Film Modern Inventions is Released to Theaters

“A fine way to act. Why don’t you pick on somebody your own size? You big goon!”

On May 29, 1937, the Donald Duck short film Modern Inventions was released to theaters. This was the first short directed by Jack King, who would go on to direct many of the early Donald shorts. This short was also originally released as a Mickey Mouse cartoon, although Mickey does not make an appearance.

Donald visits the Museum of Modern Marvels, where he is soon face to face with a robot butler, who takes his hat. However, Donald pulls a top hat out of thin air and continues to explore the museum. However, the butler appears again, taking his hat, but Donald pulls another hat from his sleeve. He comes across an automatic bundle wrapper with a sign that says “do not touch,” but Donald responds to this with his trademark “Aw, phooey!” and starts up the machine. The machine then grabs Donald and wraps him up, complete with a bow. When Donald breaks out of the packaging with his trademark anger, the butler appears, grabbing his hat. Donald pulls out yet another hat, and yells at the butler, who turns to retrieve the hat.

Donald enjoys the attention from the robotic nursemaid

Donald flees, hiding in the robotic nursemaid invention. He at first has a good time while the invention rocks him to sleep and tickles him, but is soon irritated by the invention, and, after the overuse of talcum powder, Donald sneezes himself away from the invention, only to be met by the robot butler to take away yet another hat. Donald pulls out a bowler and continues exploring, ending up at a robotic barber chair. He asks the chair for the works, and it throws him in the air, where he lands with his tail upwards. Unfortunately, this is where the chair harnesses him, and his tail is the side that gets the haircut, rather than his head. Meanwhile, his head is polished as if it were a shoe. As he is finally able to leave, he is greeted by the robot butler, and finally loses his temper as the screen fades out.

May 9, 1941 – The Donald Duck Short Film A Good Time for a Dime is Released to Theaters

“Hurry! Hurry! Step right over here, folks, to the penny arcade, where you can have a good time for a dime! This is the place, folks, where your penny’s worth a million laughs!”

On May 9, 1941, the Donald Duck short film A Good Time for a Dime is released to theaters. One aspect of this film that reflects the time it was created is the machine playing movies in the penny arcade, which was a familiar sight in the 1940s. One machine would play a movie by a belly dancer named Little Egypt, which was the inspiration of Daisy dancing “Dance of the Seven Veils.” The short was directed by Dick Lundy.

Donald arrives at the penny arcade, and looks for a movie to watch, attracted to “Dance of the of the Seven Veils.” He begins counting veils, when the machine stops working right after the third veil. Angered, he declares he’s been robbed, but moves on to a crane machine, which has a camera as one of its prizes. Donald inserts his coin and goes after the camera, but although he is able to grab it, it slips from the crane at the last moment, leaving Donald with nothing. On his next attempt, he grabs a bottle of ink, with the crane taking off the top before dropping it down the chute, covering Donald with ink. Enough being enough, Donald decides to go for the magnet, using it to grab every other prize in the machine as he shakes it. All of the prizes fall out of the chute, except for one bottle of perfume, which the crane grabs and sprays out, making Donald sneeze hard enough to sneeze all the prizes back into the crane game.

Donald enjoys his ride on the plane in the penny arcade, but his ride is about to go sour

Donald next goes to a ride called “Enjoy the Thrill of Aviation,” and begins to fly a toy plane. As he enjoys the ride, it abruptly stops, letting him know his time is up. Angered, Donald beats the plane with the control stick before it starts again. Once it does start, Donald realizes he threw the control stick away, so the plane takes off wildly, out of his control. Once it crash lands to the ground, Donald slinks away, dizzied by the experience, and leaves the penny arcade, turning green from nausea, letting out a trademark, “Aw, phooey!”

April 16, 1948 – The Donald Duck Short Film Daddy Duck is Released to Theaters

“You big, bad, nasty bear! Scaring my little baby! I gotcha!”

On April 16, 1948, the Donald Duck short film Daddy Duck was released to theaters. It was directed by Jack Hannah, with story by Jack Cosgiff and Bob McCormick.

Donald is at an adoption agency, ready to adopt a baby. He signs the paperwork, and is given a baby kangaroo named Joey, who takes to Donald immediately. The two hop home, and right off the bat, Donald has a hard time controlling Joey. Donald immediately tries to show that he’s the boss, and the adoption agency keeps calling to remind Donald what he should be doing, like giving Joey a bath. Donald tries to give Joey a bath, but Joey refuses, until he spies the pouch in Donald’s apron. He quickly tucks himself into the pouch, as Donald tries to coerce him into taking a bath. At the end of it all, Donald’s the one that ends up in the tub.

Joey is terrified after coming across Donald’s bearskin rug

The phone rings again, and Donald is given his next assignment. Joey, however, is having more fun with the waxed floor, when he runs across a bearskin rug. Terrified, he dives back into the apron pouch, and Donald tries to reassure him that the bear rug is no threat by pretending to beat it up. Donald then pretends to be eaten by the bear, and desperate to save his new father, Joey hops into action, grabbing a poker from the fireplace and poking the bear, then chasing after him with a baseball bat. Joey uses a chair to knock Donald out of the bear rug, sending the duck flying into Joey’s rocker. Joey then hugs Donald affectionately, glad that his dad is safe.

April 15, 1938 – The Donald Duck Short Film Donald’s Nephews is Released to Theaters

“Dear Brother, I am sending your angel nephews to visit you.”

On April 15, 1938, the Donald Duck short film Donald’s Nephews was released to theaters. This short marks the first on screen performance of Huey, Dewey, and Louie, sent to Donald by his sister Dumbella. The trio were created by Ted Osborne and Al Taliaferro, with their first appearance in a newspaper comic strip on October 17, 1937. The short was directed by Jack King.

Donald reads the message from his sister that his nephews are visiting, with his sister “misinforming” him that they are three angels. The moment they arrive, however, they cause nothing but trouble, from sending Donald flying into a wall and riding their tricycles all over the house in a game of tricycle polo. Through their efforts of destroying the house, Donald comes across a book called Modern Child Training, and decides to use the lessons inside to tame his nephews. The first exercise is that music will tame them, and he goes over to his piano to play. The nephews pick up some other instruments and begin to play “Pop Goes the Weasel” along with Donald, but the joy is short lived, as they use the instruments to harass Donald further.

Donald attempts to regain control over his nephews at mealtime

The book advises Donald to never lose his temper, much to their confusion. When Donald goes back to the piano, they continue to play their pranks on their uncle. He reads another lesson in the book that if the kids are quarreling, they must be hungry, and has them sit down for a meal. As he tries to say grace, the three nephews try to steal the food, with Donald getting more and more agitated. The book tells him that “if all else fails, arouse their sympathy.” Donald decides to do just that, and the nephews are alarmed to see their uncle cry. They apologize, and promise to be good boys, although they play another prank on him, replacing the filling of a pie with hot mustard. Donald cries out for water after eating the mustard pie, and the trio delights in soaking him in water and using the fire extinguisher before leaving his house. Dazed, Donald looks down at the book, with the page reading, “After all, little children are only angels without wings.” Donald throws a tantrum and rips the book into pieces.